On The Pegs September 2019 - Volume 4 - Issue 9

On The Pegs Vol. 4 Issue 9 - September 2019 111 other miscellaneous items you might need), making hotel and flight reservations, finding a bike to send over, checking and rechecking your packing lists, field- ing emails from the AMA/FIM, and getting your passport, international driver’s license, and other important papers you will need for the event. Some countries also have extensive customs requirements, where every item, plus its weight and the quantity you have of them must be listed on the packing list. This doesn’t sound bad until you realize they really meant every item, and you’re in the ga- rage with a food scale and a calculator counting every nut in your bolt box. Financial Commitment The ISDE is an expensive event. Based off my previous experiences, here is a rough average of what you might expect to have invested in the event, not counting the time and money spent qualifying for the race. Remember that these numbers are averages, and some events are more expensive than others. Most of the races in South America and Eastern Europe aren’t bad as far as travel and living expenses. Europe, especially tourist destinations like Italy, Spain and Germany tend to be more expensive. Flights $1000 per person AMA Hotel Plan1 $2500 per room for two people AMA Dinner Plan1 $400 per person Other Meals $500 per person Rental Car/Gas $700 Team Dues/Paperwork2 $2000 Eco Tires and bibs3 $1000 1) While the AMA hotel and dinner plan are not required, they are highly sug- gested. Buying the package saves you a lot of headache and isn’t a bad deal. Lastly, being in the same hotel as most of the other US crew makes it less likely you will miss a team meeting and allows you to be around your fellow riders and support crew. 2) This includes the cost of shipping the container overseas, the gas and sup- plies for the work area, plus any additional FIM paperwork or international driv- er’s licenses you might need to apply for. 3) FIM rules require you to run an eco-tire, which comes with much shorter

On The Pegs September 2019 - Volume 4 - Issue 9 | Page 111